Two Forces

“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love.

When we are afraid, we pull back from life.

When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance.”

                                                                                       John Lennon

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when I live my life in fear I have two choices

to retreat or attack

fear does not allow me to engage

in a meaningful and peaceful way with life

or with other people

fear destroys life

it narrows it down to into infinite smallness

it roils the soul

breeding hate, then anger, then violence

spiritual and relational, if not physical

“all we need is love, love is all we need”

perhaps it seems naïve and foolish to say that

I guess that makes Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr naïve and foolish

and Jesus

it is not so much love as the fruits of love

love enables us to embrace, rather than reject

be open rather than close down

care about other, rather than just ourselves

build rather than tear down

love keeps us from doing terrible things

things that minimize, oppress, and abuse others

things that kill, the mind, the soul, the body

and moves us to do beautiful things

to move beyond, and even surprise, ourselves

Fear

Love

as for me, I will chose love